Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Jennifer Tuomisto, a Biology graduate student, and Aaron Gordon-Weaver, a senior Environmental Biology major, recently presented research results at the Annual meeting of the Society for Freshwater Science in Raleigh, North Carolina. This conference is typically attended by approximately 1000 freshwater scientists from around the world. Jennifer gave an oral presentation entitled, "Effect of temporal changes in phosphorus supply on stream biofilms and phosphorus limitation indicators" and Aaron gave a poster presentation entitled "Response of stream biofilms to pulsed versus steady-state phosphorous additions". Both are students of Dr. Steven Rier, professor of Biological and Allied Health Sciences, who heard a number of positive comments from his colleagues on the quality of both presentations.

Friday, June 16, 2017

When we awoke in Røros and got ready we were given a free breakfast from our hotel. This was our first traditional Norwegian breakfast. There was a lot of lunch meat including ham and salami. But perhaps what was the most unique was the liver pate that you can eat alone or on a slice of bread. While this sounds disgusting for breakfast, it actually wasn't too bad. What stuck out to me was what is now one of my most favorite types of cheese. In Norway, this is simply known as brunøst or brown cheese. It is sweet and fairly fatty and creamy. It is excellent on a slice of bread or on a waffle. A waffle with brunøst and jam is now one of my favorite snacks.
After breakfast we went to the Røros copper mine. Røros is unlike most of Norway; it has a barren landscape and feels much like some areas around Bloomsburg. This is due to the presence of the copper mine which operated for about 300 years. Within the town exist mounds of tailings, or the waste product from the smelting process which extracts the copper. In a way, it looks a lot like a coal mining town from around Bloomsburg such as Ashland.
After the mine museum, we went for lunch at a pub in the main town. The streets are surprisingly nice for a mining town and there were plenty of smalls shops along the street to find a nice souvenir. After exploring the town more, we found a stray soccer ball on the field next to our hotel and many of us ended our day by kicking around the ball and enjoying the landscape. While this stop in the trip was brief, it was certainly a memorable experience and one of the most unique towns in Norway.
~Ryan Sullivan

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Today we traveled to the Arctic Circle Center and Nordland National Park Center. The snow on the mountains was so white that it was almost hard to distinguish mountain from cloud. We had the chance to hike around the area, occasionally falling knee deep into the snow until we found an easier path close to the train tracks. Feet of snow were still on the ground despite it being June. All the snow will melt by September before accumulating again in the winter. Markers were placed across the area at the latitude of the Arctic Circle. As we drove to the National Park Center we spotted a few reindeer and managed to snap some pictures. Reindeer is a common food here. It's usually made into a stew or hotdog. Spending the day outside and seeing some wildlife was the perfect break from our busy travel schedule.
~Tricia law

Monday, June 12, 2017

Today, May 28th, we climbed a glacier. We traveled about 45 minutes on curving winding, bumpy roads to get a to a Viking-helmet-shaped building, where inside there was a cute store and a restaurant that served lamb pizza along with many other Norwegian delicacies. From the restaurant, the glacier that we were about to climb looked small -- which we soon would learn was a trick of the eye. After we finished eating we got back in the car and traveled down a short road to where we met our climbing guides. There they fit us for spikes to go over our shoes and give us a pick axe for safety. We then hiked an hour across rocky terrain, rapid waters, and Norwegian shrubbery, before arriving at the glacier which was, in reality, huge. Here we received harnesses and were roped together. With our guide up in front and the rest of us strapped together we start our journey upwards on the glacier. The temperature dropped and the hike was steep. The climb to the top was about an hour and once up there the view was beautiful. Then it was time to go back down. The way down was a little scary but our guide, using her pick axe, made steps for us in the ice to walk down comfortably. Once we get back from the glacier the feeling of accomplishment and amazement sinks in and the eight of us will have a unique memory that will last forever.
~ Madeline Murtin

Friday, June 9, 2017

Norway is a country of never-ending beauty but also never-ending
sunlight. I woke up at 3 am to yellow rays radiating in the room,
blinding me as I opened my eyes. The midnight sun is a phenomenon in
northern Norway due to the tilt and rotation of the earth around the sun
during this time of year. The day continued with a hike around the
coast where we saw countless sheep sun bathing on the rocks. Our view
was the turquoise waters of the Arctic Ocean, and a backdrop of snowy
covered mountains. The beach looked like the Caribbean with a sandy
coast and small waves crashing on the land. Three of our classmates were
brave enough to dive into the freezing water. One of them actually
submerged himself three times. Maybe the numbness from the first jump
made the following two a breeze. I on the other hand was satisfied with
just touching the water with my fingers. We ended our time at the beach
with pictures before heading back to our cabins for our last night in
Lofoten.
~Lauren Levengood